A deep purple tint on the rim with delicious flavours of ripe strawberry, banana, juicy plums and rich red cherry. Produced in an early drinking style with well-integrated wood and a soft smooth finish.
Enjoy now with roast beef, guinea fowl, roast chicken, stews, lamb, pizza and pasta. Serve at 12° - 14°C.
variety : Pinotage [ 100% Pinotage ]
winemaker : Lolly Louwrens
wine of origin : Breede River
analysis : alc : 13.60 % vol rs : 3.25 g/l pH : 3.53 ta : 5.53 g/l
type : Red style : Dry body : Full taste : Fragrant wooded
pack : Bottle
in the vineyard : The 2002 harvest offered some challenges and many opportunities. A cooler than usual winter, allowing the vines to go into full dormancy. Cooler temperatures continued in Spring and, unusually, lasted well into mid-February, encouraging slow ripening and a build up of concentrated flavours in the grapes. Bunch weights proved to be lighter, giving small berries with a greater proportion of skin and pips to juice, giving real quality of flavour. Another phenomenon of 2002 was the achievement of full physiological ripeness at sugar levels lower than in recent vintages; thus more moderate alcohol levels may be anticipated. While the above factors reflect nature-given benefits, one cannot omit the positive human influence in a year when determination, awareness, experience and the will to succeed, played just as important a role in determining the quality of our harvest.
This true South African variety, developed in 1925, is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut.
about the harvest: Fruit was harvested in the first week of February from 43 specially selected grape growers in the Robertson Valley. Pinotage by nature is a heavy bearer therefore the majority of our vines are planted in sandy soils and irrigation is restricted to limit excessive growth. Grapes were harvested at full ripeness between 23,5° - 26,5°B from a selection of vineyards.